Cards of Remnant
by TheMaster4444
Summary: Ruby Rose has wanted to be a Hunting Duelist all her life, to train her aura to manifest the monsters in her deck to fight the Grimm. So when she gets an invitation to join her sister at Beacon Duel Academy, she jumps at the chance. But old powers are stirring, and ancient summoning methods not seen in eons are about to clash, with the fate of Remnant in the balance.
1. Ruby Rose! Hunting Duelist!

**So, to make a long story short, I had a long day moving back into college and I need to feel like I've made some sort of progress. So, I am posting the first of the three Teaser Chapters this story currently has on my Pat reon. Enjoy!**

**This story uses Master Rule 4 (ironic considering it is about to cycle out). For those not familiar with the trading card game, it uses the field layout used in Yu-Gi-Oh VRAINS.**

**If you wish to support me and my college tuition, please check out my P a treon for future chapter summaries, story ideas and more: p a Treon.(c om) (backslash) themaster4444**

**Beta-ed by xenosaiyan**

* * *

Roman Torchwick considered himself a reasonable man in a world that most of the time refused to give him the same courtesy. Sure, he lied, cheated, and stole like any other criminal, but unlike them, he was first and foremost a professional. He didn't kill the clerks at mom and pop dust shops if they kept their heads down like he said, and he didn't stack his deck before a duel. Not only was that a bit more than he could stomach, but he had his pride as a duelist. He may have dropped out of Haven, but it wasn't for lack of skill.

Which made it all the more irritating when that bitch with the flaming eyes had strong-armed him into going on a crime spree for her. He'd stolen so much dust, that crucial element used to create the most powerful of cards, that he probably could have provided enough first-rate decks for an entire army. Which, given her alliance with the White Fang, might have been the witch's goal for all he knew. He didn't enjoy the idea of working with those animals, too fanatical for his tastes, so he'd managed to convince her to let him rent some guys from Junior's underground turbo duels for the robberies.

Of course, given the fact that said goons were now strewn unconscious across the street, maybe he should have sucked it up and just brought the terrorists.

"You were worth every cent, truly you were," he snarked, raising his gaze towards the surprising source of his latest irritation. A freaking fifteen-year-old girl in a red hood with a crimson duel disk strapped to her left arm, the outer rim looking sharp like the edge of a scythe.

Yeah, he was not in the mood for this.

"Well, Red, I'd say this has been an eventful evening," he said, turning to take the dust he had in the case at his side and go. "But I'm afraid this is where we part ways."

"Oh no you don't!" the girl shouted.

She pressed a button on the crown of her duel disk, her aura flickering scarlet. She thrust out her hand and a band of crimson energy flew out of her wrist, snaking through the air and wrapping around Torchwick's.

The gentleman thief's jaw dropped in shock. "A duel anchor? How the hell does a pipsqueak like you know how to make a duel anchor?"

The girl smirked. "Win and I might tell you. But that's not going to happen, and you're not getting away."

"Oh, really?" Roman replied, a wicked smile spreading across his face. Duel anchors were a high-level capture technique, summoning a chain of aura to keep criminals from escaping, in addition to opening the doors to more... lethal modifications. The only ways to break it was to deplete the user's aura or defeat them in a duel. Hardly a difficult task for someone of his skill.

He flipped his cane around, and the handle snapped off into his palm, the body breaking off and expanding into his Melodic Cudgel duel disk. "We'll see about that."

* * *

_**RWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYYUGIOHYUGIOH**_

Alright, she had gone to a dust shop to get supplies for making Yang some 'congratulations on getting into Beacon' cards and ended up in a life or death duel with a wanted criminal mastermind. Maybe dad had good reason for ordering not to go into the city alone after all.

But on the bright side, she could tell him she'd finally used the duel anchor he taught her! Just like a real hunting duelist! Yay!

Ruby grinned, both she and Torchwick instantly drawing five cards.

_Ruby Rose: 4000 Life Points_

_Roman Torchwick: 4000 Life Points_

"I'll go first!" she declared, slotting a spell card into her Crescent Rose duel disk. "I activate Seed Cannon!"

She focused her aura and the street behind her cracked open, a massive cactus covered in grotesque prickly spines erupting into the sky.

"Amazing, you planted a garden," Torchwick rolled his eyes. "What, are you from Vacuo?"

"No, Patch," Ruby said.

"Oh, that's even worse."

"Hey!" Ruby shouted. "Let's see how you like dealing with this! I summon Baobaboon in attack mode!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, a six-foot tree trunk flashed into being in front of her, a flesh and blood baboon face protruding from the foot of the wood **(ATK 1200 / DEF 1000)**.

Behind her, her Seed Cannon's spines jutted out just a bit further.

Ruby grinned. "Due to my Baobaboon's special ability, I get to draw one card, and then put one card from my hand on either the top or bottom of my deck." She quickly did just that, slipping a card on top of her deck, before whipping out two others from her hand. "Then I'll activate my spell cards The World Tree, and Fragrance Storm!"

Beside the massive cactus of her Seed Cannon, a titanic, majestic oak instantly sprouted up from the road, sending asphalt flying upon arrival. After that, a swirl of flower petals surrounded her Baobaboon and shredded it to splinters, the beautiful tornado rising up to join with The World Tree.

"Fragrance Storm allows me to destroy one plant-type monster on the field in order to draw one card," Ruby yelled, doing just that. She then flipped it around to reveal it to be her Spore. "And then if I draw another plant-type, I can reveal it to draw another card."

"Which is why you played your monkey tree in the first place," Torchwick scoffed. "Its draw ability let you put that seed of yours on top, so you'd get the most out of your spell. Not bad, Red. Except now you don't have a monster on the field to protect you."

Ruby smirked. "Oh yes I do! Whenever Baobaboon is destroyed, I can summon as many copies of it from my deck as I want!"

Two more of her baboon faced tree trunks flashed into existence in front of her sitting on sideways cards, howling furiously at Torchwick, as Ruby drew two more cards and then put two from her hand on the bottom of her deck. The giant cactus behind her extended its spines even further.

"Now then, with each plant-type monster I summon, my Seed Cannon gets a Plant Counter," Ruby explained. "Meaning it's got three now."

"So, it's even more of an eyesore?" Roman said.

"If by that, you mean I can send it to my graveyard to deal you 500 points of damage for each one."

"Wait, _what_?!"

Ruby dramatically pointed towards her foe. "Seed Cannon, fire!"

The gigantic cactus exploded, a thunderous blast ringing through the streets. Needles the size of giant scythes crashed down towards Torchwick, the criminal bracing himself as his aura buffered the damage from Ruby's constructs.

_Roman Torchwick: 2500 Life Points_

Ruby grinned. "I'll place one card facedown and end my turn."

She'd taken out nearly half her opponent's life points, set up her World Tree spell, and put out two monsters in defense for protection. Not too shabby if she didn't say so herself, especially when her opponent hadn't even gotten a turn yet.

Torchwick coughed as the smoke cleared, now glaring daggers at her. "Alright Red, that was a better turn than I was expecting. Unfortunately for you, it's the best one you're going to get. Draw!"

He did just that, setting the sixth card in his hand before smashing a different one onto the field. "I summon Twin-Barrel Dragon in attack mode!"

A metallic raptor with a pair of gun barrels for a head sprouted in front of the criminal **(ATK 1700 / DEF 200)**, its weaponized face aimed straight at Ruby. Above the monster, two giant coins shimmered into existence.

"What are those for?" Ruby inquired, though she could tell it was nothing good.

"Why I'm glad you asked, Red," Torchwick replied. "You see, when my Twin-Barrel Dragon is summoned, I get to pick one of your cards and flip a pair of coins. If they both turn up heads, that card is instantly destroyed."

Ruby couldn't help but snort. "Really? Coin flips? That doesn't sound like a reliable effect."

"What can I say? I'm a gambling man," Torchwick shrugged. "I target your facedown."

Both coins twirled through the air, the pale light of the shattered moon glittering off their golden skins. At last, they both stopped, hanging in midair with unnatural spotlights shining on the results of the toss. Two heads.

"Oh no," Ruby muttered.

Twin-Barrel Dragon fired a blast of sapphire plasma and shattered her facedown trap card, Wall of Thorns, its remains filtering into her graveyard.

"What can I say, kiddo? It's better to be lucky than good," Torchwick mocked her. "Next, I'll activate the spell Graceful Charity."

"I know what that does," Ruby scowled, recalling the common utility card. "You get to draw three cards as long as you discard two afterward."

"Precisely. Guess you really do have a brain hidden until that ridiculous hood," Torchwick snipped, doing just as she'd described, even as she glared at him for his comment about her precious cloak. "Now then, I'll activate Monster Reborn and bring back the Barrel Dragon I just discarded."

A white light shimmered on the street and from it rose a stouter, more futuristic mechanical beast, with three long gun barrels protruding from its head and arms, deadly plasma churning within just waiting to be unleashed **(ATK 2600 / DEF 2200)**. Just like the other monster, coins appeared above it, only this time there were three.

"Like its little cousin here, Barrel Dragon can wipe out one of your monsters based on the result of a coin flip," Torchwick nonchalantly explained. "This time, if at least two of them pop up heads."

Ruby grinned. "No way you'll win the flip again."

"Maybe," Torchwick conceded, though his smirk betrayed that he was not at all worried. He reached his hand down and pulled out another card from his graveyard. "Of course, by banishing my Gun Cannon Shot trap card from my graveyard, I can just skip the flipping and treat all three results as heads."

"What?!" Ruby squealed, Barrel Dragon already taking aim.

"Better to be lucky than good, but when you're both, why not show it off," Torchwick gloated. "Go, Proton Blast!"

Three bursts of plasma burst out of the monster's long cannons, ramming into one of Ruby's Baobaboons and smashing it into splinters, though its essence floated back into The World Tree, dozens of pink flowers blossoming from its branches.

"Now for the other one," Torchwick sneered. "Twin-Barrel Dragon, destroy that disgusting potted plant! And then Barrel Dragon, attack her directly!"

The mechanical raptor rushed forward and shredded Ruby's last defense, allowing Barrel Dragon a clean shot. The red hooded girl crossed her arms in front of her and braced herself.

The trio of energy blasts hammered the young duelist harder than her sister's duel runner. Her aura strained to withstand the assault as she was sent tumbling down the street, only stopping when her World Tree physically halted her fall.

_Ruby Rose: 1400 Life Points_

"I lay three cards facedown, and end my turn," Torchwick proclaimed cockily. "Seriously, Red, you're outmatched here. Stop trying to play hero past your bedtime. How about you just disengage this duel anchor, and we'll pretend this never happened, eh?"

Ruby scowled, a groan escaping her lips as she staggered back to her feet. Let him go? What, and just look the other way? Never! She would be a hunting duelist, bringing joy to people to keep up their spirits and keep them safe from the Grimm, and fighting back the monsters of negativity with her own cards when that proved not to be enough. If she was going to be like Yang, like Uncle Qrow, like dad, and like mom, she couldn't back down from the villain in front of her. If she did, he'd just go on to terrorize more innocent people like he'd terrorized the dust shop owner, and she wouldn't let that happen!

"My turn! Draw!" she shouted stalwartly. "Since three plant monsters have been destroyed, The World Tree has three Flower Counters on it. Now by removing those three counters, I can bring back one plant-type monster from my graveyard. Baobaboon! Return!"

The petals from The World Tree floated into the air, settling down towards the city street and glowing with white light. A great howl rang through the night and one of her monkey-tree hybrids rose to live again.

"And since it was summoned, its effect activates, letting me draw one card!" Ruby shouted, vigorously doing just that. When she saw what she'd drawn however, her eyes widened, an eager grin taking over her face.

"Well, are you just going to stand there?" Torchwick demanded. "You have to put a card from your hand back in your deck now, don't you?"

Ruby placed one of her other cards on the bottom of her deck and slammed the one she'd pulled onto the field. "I summon Angel Trumpeter!"

Beside Baobaboon, a dainty glowing flower shimmered into existence, a sparkling mist floating out from its petals **(ATK 1900 / DEF 1600)**.

"Oh goody, more flowers," Torchwick snarked. "Seriously, do you want to duel or plant a garden—"

"I tune my level four Angel Trumpeter to my level three Baobaboon!"

"What?!" the thief gasped. "No! No way! No way a brat like you can synchro summon!"

Ruby steeled herself, already preparing her aura for the colossal labor it was about to undertake. There was a reason Torchwick was so surprised by her move. Calibrating the aura that made up the monsters' physical bodies so that they could combine into a stronger creature was a highly advanced technique, one that was usually only covered after getting into one of the four academies. The fact that Yang had mastered it in her final year at Signal was just more proof of how amazing her sister was. Ruby was as helpless with the technique as anyone else.

At least, she was before Uncle Qrow had taken her under his wing. Then he'd taken away her cookies and she'd gotten it down in a week.

Angel Trumpeter disassembled into four green tuner rings, Baobaboon breaking into three twinkling stars and lining up within them. A steady hum of power resonated out from glowing symphony.

"_Red like roses fills my dreams and bring me to the place you rest,"_ Ruby chanted, solemnly pulling her chosen card from her extra deck. "_The cold flame envelops the entire world. Thus, kindly scatter and bring me victory. Black flower, bloom! Synchro Summon! _**Black Rose Dragon!**"

A pillar of blinding light shot through the remains of the previous monsters, turning night into day for a brief moment. A mighty black dragon emerged from the shine of its components, a gown of vibrant roses coating its flesh. Blood red talons peered out of its plumage, a long tail of sharp thorns curling down below as the great beast let out a deafening roar that seemed to shake the stars above **(ATK 2400 / DEF 1800)**.

With her ace summoned, Ruby sagged down, panting hard as she wobbled on her knees. Just as she was about to tumble, her dragon's thorny tail gently caught her, none of the spikes even scratching her. Glancing up at the majestic creature, she found the titanic creature granting her a gentle smile, a gesture she gladly returned.

"Well, I've gotta admit Little Red, never expected you to pull out something like this," Torchwick whistled, a note of honest respect in his voice. It barely lasted a moment before he sneered again though. "Doesn't really matter though. A synchro summon may be fancy, but in the end, a monster is just a monster. And your overgrown lizard doesn't hold a candle to my Barrel Dragon."

He wasn't wrong. Barrel Dragon did have 200 more attack points than her ace monster. Not to mention that with three facedown cards, there was no way he didn't have at least one trap card just ready to spring into action as soon as she attacked.

Which was of course, why she wasn't going to.

"I activate Black Rose Dragon's special ability!" Ruby screamed. "As soon as it's synchro summoned, it can destroy every card on the field!"

"Every card?" Torchwick squawked.

"Go, Black Rose Gale!"

Black Rose Dragon roared and raised its wings into the air, summoning a ferocious whirlwind with a single flap that shattered the dust shop's windows and sent the goons Ruby had previously knocked out flying. The gigantic tornado was laced with petals that cut like razors, sheering Torchwick's machine monsters, his facedowns, and even Ruby's own World Tree to pieces. At last, when everything else on the field had been made barren, the mighty beast itself exploded under its own power.

Ruby grinned, glancing down at her hand. With her ace monster having cleared the field, Torchwick was wide open. And with Monster Reborn and Book of Moon in her hand, she could easily finish him off this turn—

"You little pipsqueak," the criminal growled, slamming the last card in his hand onto his duel disk. "Don't think it's going to be that easy! When my dark machine monsters are destroyed, I can summon Desperado Barrel—"

His rant was cut off when another gale rushed over the battlefield, this time with a more mechanical hum accompanying it. Ruby and Torchwick both looked up to find a helicopter hovering above the thief. A rope ladder was thrown down, a woman clouded in shadows in a long red dress glaring down at the criminal.

"_It's time to go, Roman,_" she commanded, her voice reverberated with an unnatural disguise.

Torchwick glanced back at Ruby and shrugged, hopping onto the ladder. "Oh well. Maybe next time, Red."

"No, you don't!" Ruby declared. She pulled back on her duel anchor, the long rope of scarlet energy keeping the criminal from climbing any higher. "You're not going—"

The woman in helicopter suddenly held out her hand, her right eye blazing with a strange orange glow. In an instant, the duel anchor erupted into flames and crumbled into ash.

"—Anywhere," Ruby muttered, her eyes wide with shock. How had she done that? Neither dad or Uncle Qrow had ever told her about anything powerful enough to break a duel anchor, let alone disintegrate it entirely.

Torchwick, now free, cackled and climbed into the helicopter, the vehicle soaring into the air.

Ruby roused herself from her stupor and charged forward, leaping for the rope ladder. She couldn't let them escape!

The woman above chuckled at her, a duel disk appearing on her arm in a flash of fire and glass. She plucked a card from her deck and thrust it towards Ruby face first.

It was a spell card with a picture of a strange bright orange spiral over a dark blue background. Ruby had never seen anything like it before. She didn't see it for long now either. The woman's eye glowed once more, and the orange light shifted to her card, flickering unstably. When it faded, the image on the card was now of a dark dragon and skeleton swirling over a fiery spiral.

Ruby only had a moment to question what the card did when a new figure was conjured before her, constructed from the woman's aura. It was an utterly enormous dragon, even larger than her Black Rose Dragon. Its body was forged from burnt black bone, its skeletal wings holding it aloft before the helicopter. A ferocious blaze churned from within its massive ribcage, a demonic skull glaring down at the young duelist with utter contempt.

"_Eliminate this pest_," the woman commanded. "_Molten Hellfire_."

The dragon roared at its mistress' command. A titanic black fireball formed at its maw, dripping with demonic lava. The beast lunged forward and the blast was sent screeching towards Ruby.

She could try to use her semblance, but speed wouldn't mean anything when she was trapped in midair. Her aura was battered from the duel, and even if it wasn't, what could she summon to stop an attack that powerful? The attack was too fast, it was nearly upon her—

When a wolf made of blue smoke jumped in front of her?

"Mythical Beast Jackal!" a new voice shouted. "Spirit Barrier!"

A yellow shield of energy flashed in front of Ruby and the wolf, the fireball fizzling out as soon as it struck the defense. The wolf snatched the young duelist by the scruff of her hood and dragged her back down to the ground, Torchwick and the woman flying off into the night in their helicopter, the demonic dragon fading into orange sparks.

Ruby scuffed her boot against the street. "They got away." She glanced towards the blue smoke wolf, sparkles suddenly appearing in her silver eyes. "Puppy! Oh, you're so cute, I'll bet Zwei would just to play with you! You'll be best friends—"

"Ahem."

Ruby stood ramrod straight and whirled around to face the person who'd saved her. It was a tall, elegant, blond woman with a white blouse and a black pencil skirt. On her right arm was a purple and black duel disk, a large Spirit Barrier trap card floating in front of her.

"Woah," Ruby whispered reverently. "You're Glynda Goodwitch! Can I have your autograph?"

The legendary hunting duelist, the deputy headmistress of Beacon Academy, narrowed her eyes at her. "Care to explain all of this, young lady?"

"All what—" Ruby's eyes widened, glancing all around the ravaged street, broken windows, and unconscious thugs. A nervous chuckle escaped her lips. "Oh, um… they started it?"

Professor Goodwitch did not look impressed. "That seems quite likely. However, Good Samaritan laws only extend so far. There will be consequences for this, young lady."

* * *

_**RWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYYUGIOHYUGIOH**_

"You let her into Beacon?"

Ozpin sighed, practically feeling Glynda's disapproving glare on his back as he closed the door to Ms. Rose's interrogation room. Taiyang would be by the police station soon to pick her up, and based on her excited pumping of her arms, it seemed the young girl would have quite a lot to tell him, the headmaster's offer of early enrollment least of them all.

"A duel anchor and a successful synchro summon," he reminded his second, the two of them striding side-by-side down the hall. "Surely you're not questioning if she has the skill to attend? I dare say she's already better than most first-years that come to us."

"Skill does not equal preparedness," Glynda argued. "Her heart is in the right place but jumping forward to duel Roman Torchwick and then confronting that woman indicts quite a bit of overconfidence, which we both know could get her killed in the field. Spending two more years at Signal may help iron out such habits."

"Doubtful," Ozpin replied. "I've checked her records. The only student who has claimed a victory over her in the last year has been her sister, and that includes the current upper years. If anything, she'll come to overestimate herself even more if she stays there."

Glynda cocked an eyebrow. "You checked her records? How long have you been planning to make this offer?"

Ozpin shrugged. "Tonight provided an auspicious opportunity. The world needs talented duelists, silver-eyed ones most of all. Especially if you're sure of what you saw tonight."

His most trusted lieutenant scowled, the two of them moving into an alcove where they wouldn't be overheard by any passing police officer. "I'm sure. I didn't get a good look at her face, but I've seen Amber's eyes glow enough to recognize the maiden's power. Nothing else could overpower a duel anchor. And then there was that card…"

Ozpin nodded. It had been many long decades since he'd seen anyone not loyal to the Queen wield Polymerization. "She's making her move. A larger one than she has in quite some time."

Glynda frowned, a note of fear flickering across her normally stern and stoic expression. "What do we do?"

For a moment, Ozpin said nothing, considering that question he had been asking himself for millennia, until at last…

"We will do what anyone does when faced with a duel. We will set our traps, prepare our defenses, and summon our allies. And when the time comes, we will play the hand we are dealt to the best of our ability."

Gods willing, that would be enough.

* * *

**So yeah. This story isn't going to be regularly updated for now, but I had a lot of fun writing it when my Patrons voted for it in the Monthly Teaser Chapters Poll. There are two others on there that will remain exclusive to that site for now.**

**That said, Yu-Gi-Oh was a massive part of my childhood and something that I love to this day. Mixing it and its grand epic mythos of my magic, dimensions, and, most importantly, children's card games into RWBY is a whole lot of fun.**

**An extra huge thank you to my patrons: ArcherMcMuffin, Gregg Tracton, Keith Traction, Annaya Chan, Nora Okonus, Paula mandel, KefkaesqueXIII, Christian Howard, SanyaBane, and Matthew Blevins.**

**Thank you for Reading! I hope you enjoy what comes next!**

**Go Forth and Conquer!**


	2. Race with the Champion- Part 1

**The next two Teaser Chapters of this story are available on my .**

**If you wish to support me and my college tuition, please check out my P a treon for future chapter summaries, story ideas and more: p a Treon.(c om) (backslash) themaster4444**

**Beta-ed by xenosaiyan**

* * *

"Oooohhhhh! I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!"

"Please… stop…" Ruby gasped out, Yang's hug just as enthusiastic and oxygen intolerant as ever.

Fortunately, her sister got the message that it would be difficult to cuddle her if she suffocated her to death, so Yang pulled back. Not that she didn't still look just as excited, her fingers nearly pinching Ruby's cheeks.

"But I'm so proud of you!" she cooed.

Ruby sighed. "Really, sis, it was nothing."

"What do you mean it was nothing? It was incredible! You threw down with a wanted criminal and got into Beacon two years early!" Yang cheered, amazingly not drawing the eye of every other student in the courtyard. "Everyone here is going to think you're the bees' knees."

"I don't want to be the bees' knees, I don't wanna be any kind of knees. I just want to be a normal girl, with normal knees," Ruby protested, trying to shrink back into her cloak.

Yang's cheer instantly evaporated into concern. "What's with you? Aren't you excited?"

"Of course, I'm excited, it's just… well… I got moved ahead two years," Ruby muttered. "I don't want anyone to think I'm special."

"Ruby, you are special," Yang insisted, shooting her a small smile. "I mean, you're fifteen and you can use a duel anchor _and _synchro summon. That's crazy awesome!"

"You can do those things too. Heck, dad's been teaching you to double t—"

"The point is you're amazing. And you don't need to worry about what anyone else might think of you. Your real friends will like you for the duelist you are."

Ruby chuckled nervously, glancing all around their new surroundings. The airship ride to Beacon had been a quick one (if longer for that one guy who'd puked), bringing the two prospective hunting duelists at last to the academy that would beat their hot iron into cold, hard steel. It was a grand castle, its courtyard resplendent with marble and other shining stone. At its center was a magnificent statue, a false Ursa cowering before a duelist surrounded by three giant dragons he'd summoned: one green, one black, and one a light brown, close to orange. All around, prospective students muddled through the grounds of the legendary school.

"I guess you're right," she said. "I mean, worst comes to worst, I'll still have you. We'll be special together."

"Eh, about that," Yang squeaked, nervously rubbing the back of her prized golden hair. "I kind of—needtogodosomethingreallyimportantseeyoulaterbye!"

"Wait what?!"

Too late. Yang had already dashed away, a trail of dust in her wake. Ruby was sent spinning. Her vision swirled all around as she stumbled through the courtyard. Maybe if she was lucky, the tree she'd eventually hit would be softer than the others.

"Ow!"

Oh, hey, this tree really wasn't so bad—and she didn't hit a tree.

As her vision came back into focus, she caught sight of the petite girl she'd accidentally run over, decked out in a white jacket, combat skirt, and boots. A ponytail of silver hair flopped in front of her face, barely a shade different from her pale skin. Behind her, metal cases with a snowflake emblem were scattered over a luggage cart, and in front her were…

"Cards!" Ruby cheered, her attention instantly glued to the pile of jumbled Duel Monsters cards on the ground. She immediately grabbed the first one she saw, her silver eyes wide with wonder. "Ooo, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon—an Xyz monster! You can Xyz summon! That's awesome!"

"What? Hey!" the girl immediately snatched the card from Ruby's fingers, quickly compiling the rest of her scattered deck back together. She stood up and glared at the red hooded girl with her icy blue eyes. "What is wrong with you? Knocking people over and touching their cards without permission! Didn't anyone ever teach you manners? What is a child like you even doing here?"

"Hey, I'm not a child!" Ruby protested, jumping to her feet. "Look, I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have touched your cards—"

"No, you shouldn't have!" the girl cut in. "You shouldn't butt into other people's business. What if you'd hit my dust? It's not just for forging cards, you know. It's dangerous. You could have blown up both to pieces!"

"Yeah, I know that. Look, I'm sorry, my sister—"

"As you should be."

"Are you going to let me finish a sentence, princess!?"

"It's heiress, actually. Weiss Schnee, heiress of the Schnee Dust Company," a new voice declared. Both Ruby and the white-haired girl turned towards a black-haired girl with a bow who was strutting towards them, a dark duel disk strapped to her back. "One of the largest producers of dust and utility cards in the world."

"Finally," the newly named Weiss preened. "Some recognition."

The black-haired girl frowned. "The same company infamous for its controversial labor practices and questionable business partners."

"What? How dare you… you… ugh!"

Weiss whirled around and stomped away towards the school, a pair of suited men pushing her cart of dust after her.

"I'm really sorry and I promise to make this up to you!" Ruby called after. Getting no response, she sighed. "Guess I'm not the only one having a rough first… day."

The black-haired girl was already gone, not even sparing a goodbye.

Ruby slumped forward, all cheer gone from her face. "Welcome to Beacon."

"Hey," another voice called. Ruby turned to the source, finding a friendly hand extended, a tall, scraggly blond boy on the other end. "I'm Jaune."

It wasn't much, but it was the friendliest greeting Ruby had gotten all day. She smiled and accepted the hand. "Ruby." Her eyes narrowed, her mind digging up the boy from a recent memory. "Hey, aren't you that guy who threw up on the ship?"

* * *

_**RWBYRWBYRWBYRWBYYUGIOHYUGIOH**_

After clarifying that Jaune was indeed the same guy who'd puked on the airship over, Ruby had wandered around the campus with her new friend trying to figure out where they were supposed to go. Eventually, they'd noted that the other stragglers of the prospective students were all flowing towards a gigantic dome and followed them to their hopefully correct destination.

Fortunately, the place was packed with way too many people to be the wrong place. Tons of prospective duelists sitting in hundreds of seats, all surrounding a sight that obliterated any lingering worry in Ruby's heart.

"It's a Turbo Duel track!" she cheered, dragging Jaune into some of the only unoccupied seats. Below the titanic stands was a standard oval racing track, the edges of the course curved upwards like a skating halfpipe, though those portions were clear plexiglass, specially tempered to take a duel runner's weight. At Junior's underground ring (which Yang didn't know Ruby knew about), they were always chipped and nearly falling apart, but here at Beacon they looked brand new. "I can't believe we're going to learn to duel here!"

"Yeah, it looks awesome," Jaune muttered. "But what is it?"

"It's Turbo Duel track," Ruby repeated. When her new friend looked at her blankly, she cocked an eyebrow. "For turbo dueling. On duel runners. Do you not know what those are?"

"Sure, they're those motorcycle things, right?" Jaune said. "I just don't get why we'd need to learn how to do that when we're here to learn how to fight Grimm. I mean, they don't ride motorcycles… do they?"

"The Grimm? Riding duel runners? That might be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

Ruby's eyes widened. She whirled around to the source of the haughty voice, finding a familiar, elegant girl planted in the seat next to her. "Ah! You!"

"You!" Weiss shot back; her finger pointed accusingly at Ruby.

Jaune peaked out from behind Ruby and his eyes widened, a smile spreading across his face. A smile the red hooded girl had seen on tons of boys who'd made a pass at Yang. "Hello, snow angel. Name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it."

Weiss rolled her eyes before resuming her glare at Ruby. "What are you doing here?"

"Um, this is where we're supposed to go," Ruby pointed out. "Isn't it?"

"Of course, it is," Weiss huffed. "I mean why are you sitting here next to me? Take your wet noodle and go somewhere else."

"Wet noodle? Aw," Jaune moaned, slumping back in his seat.

Ruby frowned at the arrogant heiress. "Look, we got off on the wrong foot. My name's Ruby. I'm sorry about what happened before, but these are the only seats left. We got lost on the way here—"

"Of course, you did. Why am I not surprised that a child like you couldn't find the way?"

"Again with the interrupting!"

"Ahem."

The girls' attention, along with that of everyone else in the auditorium, was drawn down to a small stage set in front of the track. On top of it was Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch, the former holding onto a standing microphone.

"Hello, we have a little demonstration to get to, so I will endeavor to keep this brief," the headmaster proclaimed. "You all have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft, and acquire new skills. And when you are finished, you plan to dedicate your life to protecting the people, to lifting their spirits up when times are darkest. But I look around here, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, of direction. You assume that knowledge will free you of this burden, but in your time at this school, you will find that knowledge will only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

Ruby raised an eyebrow in confusion, the headmaster's words not really making much sense in her mind. Weren't they there to learn how to duel better? To manifest their monsters through their aura to defend against the Grimm? Why would knowledge not help them do that? She quickly glanced to either side to see if her companions had any idea what he was talking about, but Weiss and Jaune looked just as stumped as she was.

Ozpin coughed, a playful smile replacing his grave countenance. "Now then, for the part that I'm sure all of you are far more excited for. Here at Beacon, you will learn about all facets of dueling and its uses hunting Grimm. And though each team will only have one designated scout, you will all be trained in the basics of turbo dueling. And to display just what those basics can lead to, I've arranged an exhibition match for you all, one the two highest-scoring applicants of the practical exam have graciously agreed to take part in. I'm sure our first competitor needs no introduction."

At that moment, a brilliant orange duel runner shot onto the track, the vibrant hum of its engine filling the stadium. Its chair was centered near the rear, like the Mistralian chariots of old. The rider wore a brown full-body riding suit, a bronze helmet revealing only her sparkling emerald eyes and a flowing red ponytail.

The crowd immediately went wild, thunderous cheers drowning out even the roar of the engine. Ruby couldn't blame them.

"I'd heard rumors she was coming here instead of Haven," Weiss muttered. "But I still can't believe it."

"Yeah, it's a really big deal that she's here instead of there, totally," Jaune agreed, though his eyes flickered unsure from side to side. "So, um… who is she?"

"Who is she?" Weiss squealed. "How dumb are you? That's Pyrrha Nikos."

…

"The shining warrior of Sanctum Academy."

…

"Four-year winner of Mistral's regional tournaments."

…

"She's on the front of every box of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes!" Weiss finally exploded.

"What?!" Jaune exclaimed, double-taking at the image of the girl on the giant viewscreen above the track, Pyrrha's kind smile and polite wave visible to all. "That's her? She's a duelist! I thought she was an actor or model or something."

Ruby smiled. "Nope. She's a duelist, and a really good one. My sister and I watched some of her matches on tv. She's so good, no one's ever been able to drop her life points below half."

"It's why they call her the Invincible Girl," Weiss finished, smirking towards the track. "Whoever her opponent is might as well just surrender now."

"Well, I'm not so sure about that. My Uncle Qrow always says there's no such thing as an unbeatable duelist," Ruby said. She tore her eyes away from the track and glanced around the stands.

Where in the world was Yang? She loved turbo dueling more than anything. Seeing Pyrrha Nikos duel live? No way she'd miss this. So where had she disappeared off to… wait.

Who did Professor Ozpin say he'd gotten to join in the duel? The highest-scoring students on the _practical _exam?

"And now, her opponent," Ozpin announced. "Professor Port, who some of you will be meeting once the semester starts, would doubtlessly come up with a great many boisterous adjectives to describe her, but that is not my forte. Still, allow me to introduce—"

A booming engine cut him off, a golden duel runner exploding onto the track even faster than Pyrrha had. Its rider, clad in brown thigh-high boots and a flapping aviator jacket, pumped a fist into the air, her signature yellow locks flowing behind her like a mane of fire.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted, barely able to believe what she was seeing.

"You know her?" Weiss asked.

"She's my sister," Ruby replied, her lips spreading into a massive smile. She'd never been able to beat Yang herself, the only people she knew had done it were dad and Uncle Qrow. Now, she was going to see her sister take on a world-class duelist before either of them had even had a single class at Beacon.

This was gonna be awesome!

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This was a familiar feeling. The crowd, the lights, the cheers. Even the hum of her Argus Chariot's engine was familiar, only escaping the disinterest she had towards everything else thanks to the love she owed her faithful duel runner. It wasn't its fault she was stuck on a pedestal.

No, Pyrrha couldn't think like that. That would be petty and selfish. She had been blessed with many incredible gifts as a duelist and a driver, not to mention the perfect semblance for her preferred manner of playing. She had worked hard and trained herself to the bone to master her talents, but there were many who did not get that opportunity, those back home in Mistral who were trapped in the common slums for one. She did not have the right to complain about how good her fortune was.

So, she upheld her responsibilities, smiled and waved for the crowd. If she had these skills, she wanted to use them to help people. She put on a show for the crowds, entertaining them and keeping their spirits high. With her around, negativity would be the furthest thing from their hearts. And once she was fully trained and had her license, she would defend them from the Grimm on the frontline as a hunting duelist. She'd be their Invincible Girl.

Not that she bought into the hype that'd been built around her by the public. The people might not have been aware, but she had lost duels before. Professor Ozpin had defeated her in her entrance exam match once she requested that he use his personal deck instead of the testing one. And when she'd expressed her excitement at that fact, he'd offered to have her participate in this exhibition match, promising that the opponent he had lined up would at least give her a good fight.

But seeing her now, this Yang Xiao-Long, shouting and showboating around the track, taking unnecessarily wide turns to the edges of the curved borders of the stadium… she couldn't deny she was concerned. The blond-haired girl must have had talent, she'd scored the best after Pyrrha herself on the practical exam and Beacon was hardly lacking in competition. But her raucous howling around the arena did not indicate a disciplined duelist.

But Pyrrha had fought disciplined duelists before and beaten them all. Maybe a bit of a wild style would spice things up.

Her opponent finally calmed down from the applause and met her at the starting line. She flashed a toothy, eager smile Pyrrha's way.

"Pleasure to meet you," Yang greeted, a fire in her voice. "Been watching you on tv for a while now. Can't wait to see what you've got myself."

Pyrrha put on her practiced, plaster smile. "It is an honor to duel you. Let's have a good match."

Yang smirked. "Oh, trust me, P-money. It's gonna be good. The only question is if you can handle my firepower."

Pyrrha tilted her head to the side. P-money?

"Ready! Set!" Professor Ozpin shouted, the arena's stoplights glowing in concert with his voice. "Go!"

"Riding Duel. Acceleration," Pyrrha whispered, the old name for turbo duels flowing from her lips as she and her opponent erupted forward.

_Pyrrha Nikos: 4000 Life Points_

_Yang Xiao-Long: 4000 Life Points_

* * *

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As the wind rushed past her face and Bumblebee raced across the track, Yang had never felt better. She hadn't even officially passed Beacon initiation yet and already she was taking on Pyrrha Nikos herself with Ruby watching in the crowd. This really was the best day ever.

Compared to the rest of the Hunting Duelist Academies' curriculum, Turbo Duels were relatively new, only catching on after the Faunus Rights Revolution instead of the Great War. After that, every team of huntsmen started to have a designated scout who'd use the massive speed advantage of their duel runners to harry the Grimm and give their team time to summon up their more powerful monsters. Even then, Turbo Duels were becoming common enough that a lot of experts were saying that pretty soon any duelist worth their salt would _have _to be able to drive as well if they wanted to get anywhere.

Fortunately, Yang was the best there was. Her birth mom may have been Team STRQ's scout, but all of them were aces on a duel runner, and dad and Uncle Qrow had taught her well, even helped her build Bumblebee from scrap and spare parts. Her baby was the fastest bike in Vale, a fact it had proved time and again at Junior's underground track (which Ruby _did not_, under any circumstances, learn she'd gone to).

Even now, her golden ride had a half stride lead on Pyrrha and her world-renown Argus Chariot, closing in on taking the first corner, and with it, the first turn.

Yang smirked and cut right, ready to begin her fiery onslaught…

Only for her runner to suddenly drift out to the edge of the arena's corner, extending the trip by a crucial several feet. Pyrrha seized the opportunity and snaked through the inside of the turn, handling her bike better than either of the Malachites ever had.

Yang raised an eyebrow, blinking madly as a subtle black shine faded from Bumblebee. It wasn't like her to mess up an easy turn like that, and she'd made sure her runner was in perfect condition ever since Professor Ozpin had told her about the match. How had she blown the initial advantage?

Eh, who cared. A Turbo Duel was a game of speed, and she wouldn't let herself be left in the dust.

She kept on the accelerator and rocketed onto the straightaway, her superior speed quickly putting her neck in neck with Pyrrha just as the fun began.

"To start," the champion shouted, plucking a card from her hand. "I'll summon Heroic Challenger – Thousand Blades in attack mode!"

A stout knight in silver armor appeared at the side of Pyrrha's runner, slashing its polearm through the air. Sprouting from the warrior's steel back were dozens upon dozens of swords, the blades forming into a pair of ragged wings around the monster (ATK 1300 / DEF 1100).

"Next, I'll discard Heroic Challenger – Double Lance to my graveyard in order to activate Thousand Blades' special ability," Pyrrha declared, sending a card from hand to the grave and then plucking another from her deck. "By switching him to defense mode, I'm allowed to summon another Heroic monster from my deck. So report to the battlefield, Heroic Challenger – Extra Sword!"

Thousand Blades performed an elaborate series of slashes in front of itself, glowing scars left floating in midair. The warrior then took a knee, a sideways card appearing under it. No sooner was that done then the scars shattered into pieces, a new armored warrior appearing, this one with a sword in each hand (ATK 1000 / DEF 1000).

"Now, with my level four Thousand Blades and Extra Sword, I build the Overlay Network!" Pyrrha proclaimed, the crowd going absolutely wild as soon as the words left her mouth. Her monsters turned into nodes of orange light and flew into a spiraling crimson galaxy.

Yang smirked. An Xyz summon on her very first turn. Oh yes! She wanted to play with the best and she was going to get her wish.

"I xyz summon, **Heroic Champion- Gandiva**!"

The galaxy exploded in a rush of scarlet energy, a new figure galloping out of the glow. When the shine faded, it revealed a resplendent horse archer charging alongside Pyrrha's runner, both mount and rider decked in thick leather armor, a pair of twinkling orange lights orbiting the warrior (ATK 2100 / DEF 1800).

"Due to Heroic Challenger – Extra Sword's effect, since it was used to Xyz summon, Gandiva gains 1000 attack points," Pyrrha explained, her monster's power rising to reflect such a change (3100 ATK / 1800 DEF). The champion plucked a card from her hand and set it in her spell & trap card zone. "I place one card facedown and end my turn."

"Awesome," Yang grinned, drawing her card to bring her hand up to six, the wind buffeting past her face. She blasted ahead of the Invincible Girl. The speed, a kickass opponent, a fire building in her belly. What more could a duelist ask for? "My move!"

* * *

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"A Xyz Summon? She can Xyz Summon?" Jaune gaped, his eyes glued to the viewscreen. "How?"

"By manipulating her aura to form the Overlay Network with her monsters," Weiss said with a roll of her eyes. "Seriously, have you never seen it done before?"

"Well, my dad's done it a few times, when someone's actually managed to press him," Jaune replied nervously. "But he said it's a high-level skill. She's the same age as us!"

"True, but what less can be expected from a prodigy like her," Weiss preened. "Synchro summoning is a tried and true method of hunting duelists, but there is a reason Xyz summoning is becoming the preferred summoning method in both Atlas and Mistral. Tuners are often weak and vulnerable between their uses, but any monsters can be made to match levels. It all comes down to the duelist's skill in whether they can bring it about."

"Cool," Ruby murmured excitedly. She'd never forsake her synchro monsters, but that didn't mean she couldn't appreciate the other extra deck summoning method as well. "Are you an Xyz summoner too, Weiss? I saw that dragon when I knocked over your cards—"

"How I duel is none of your concern," Weiss muttered darkly, none of the haughty outrage from her previous outbursts present in her voice. This was not some petty annoyance that she was blowing out of proportion. Ruby had clearly touched a _very _serious nerve.

"Sorry," she softly said.

"It's fine," Weiss huffed. "We should get back to the match. Your sister probably won't last too much longer."

A proud smirk broke out across Ruby's face. "I wouldn't be so sure. Yang's one of the best duelists I know. If anyone can take down Pyrrha, it's her."

At that moment, Yang made her move, summoning Red Resonator (ATK 600 / DEF 200), a cackling demon with flames bursting out of its back. A moment later, a horse with fire blazing out of its mane and hoofs, Red Sprinter (ATK 1700 / DEF 1200), appeared beside it, special summoned by the little fiend's effect.

"I activate Gandiva's special ability!" Pyrrha shouted. "When you special summon a level four or lower monster, Gandiva can use one overlay unit to destroy it!"

At its master's command, one of the glowing lights surrounding Gandiva surged into its bow. The horse archer pulled back the string and loosed an arrow straight into Red Sprinter's heart, obliterating the flaming horse.

"See?" Weiss said. "Your sister is completely outmatched by—"

"When Red Sprinter is summoned and it's the only monster on a player's field, it special summons a level three or lower fiend-type tuner monster from the hand or graveyard," Ruby cut in, interrupting Weiss for once. "When Red Resonator is special summoned, the player gains life points equal to one monster on the field. Yang could have gotten the same monsters on the field, but with a boost to her life points, except—"

"Except then Red Resonator would have been the one destroyed by Gandiva's effect," Weiss finished, her eyes going wide.

"It was a fake-out!" Jaune exclaimed. "Her goal was just to get Red Resonator on the field. But, why?"

"Duh," Ruby smirked. "So she'd have a tuner out to synchro summon with."

"Synchro summon?" Weiss repeated, her eyes darting to the image of Yang on the viewscreen. "She's not even a first year."

"Neither is Pyrrha," Ruby pointed out. "Yang was picked to duel her for a reason. She's the best of the best. And now, everyone here is going to know it."

For once, Weiss had no response, her eyes glued to the duel with everyone else. And as Wandering King Wildwind, a humanoid panther garbed in a green cape (ATK 1700 / DEF 1300), was special summoned to the field by its own effect since Yang had a fiend-type tuner with 1500 or less attack points, Ruby couldn't help but envy the rest of the audience that they were about to see what was coming for the first time.

* * *

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"I tune my level two Red Resonator with my level four Wandering King Wildwind!"

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow at Yang's declaration, her gaze locked on the fiery fiend transforming into a pair of green rings and encircling the humanoid panther, who promptly turned into four twinkling stars. Maybe she should have been surprised, they were dueling with aura manifested monsters, not training holograms after all, but she had just summoned a monster to her extra monster zone herself. It only made sense that the one Professor Ozpin said could match her would be able to do the same.

"Synchro summon!" Yang shouted. "**Red Wyvern!**"

A blinding pillar of light flashed through the green rings. When it faded, the two monsters had been replaced by a sizable, but primitive-looking dragon with crude crimson scales, a small head of flames on top of its head (ATK 2400 / DEF 2000).

"An impressive monster," Pyrrha complimented sincerely. "But I'm afraid it isn't strong enough to take on my Gandiva."

"Of course it isn't. That's the whole point."

"What?"

Yang came up side by side with Pyrrha and smirked. "If Red Wyvern was synchro summoned, and there's a monster on the field with higher attack that it, then once while it's on the field, it can destroy the strongest monster out. Without targeting it, by the way. Wyvern!"

Red Wyvern reeled back its head and with a mighty screech sent a fireball hurling towards Gandiva. The Heroic Champion tried to raise its bow to defend itself but was consumed by the flames nonetheless, its horse shrieking in agony as it burst into shards.

"Now," Yang called, pulling ahead. "Attack her directly!"

Once more, Red Wyvern reeled back its head and unleashed a torrent of crimson flames, this time at Pyrrha herself. The Mistral champion braced herself as the fire rushed over her, her aura straining as the blaze zapped its strength, forcing her to decelerate.

_Pyrrha Nikos: 1600 Life Points_

The crowd gasped. Not only had the Vale girl no one had ever heard of struck the first blow of the duel, but she'd also done the impossible and dropped the Invincible Girl's life points below half. Their thoughts were easy to figure out. How grueling was Beacon's training going to be if Pyrrha Nikos herself was already floundering?

Of course, Pyrrha had a distinctly different opinion on the matter. Yang had said she had watched her duel before and she'd clearly worked what she'd seen into her strategy. The blonde had anticipated that her facedown card would be her signature trap, Battleguard Howling. A powerful card, but one that required one of her warrior-type monsters to be targeted, either by an opponent's attack or monster effect.

Yang had used her Red Wyvern to circumvent that condition. She'd earned her first blood.

Pyrrha wondered if it would earn her the last.

"Whenever I take battle damage, the effect of my Heroic Challenger – Thousand Blades activates in my graveyard!" she declared. "It returns to the field in attack mode."

Her armored warrior rose up from the asphalt once again, its polearm aimed straight at the dragon that had just destroyed its fellow.

Yang grinned. "Can't wait to see what you do with him. I lay one card facedown and end my turn."

The blonde's golden duel runner accelerated forward, whipping around to take the next turn and increase her lead over her opponent. It truly was a magnificent machine. Pyrrha could count on one hand the number of runners that could compete with Argus Chariot, and those were all top of the line vehicles with millions of lien poured into them. Yang's mount couldn't have had even a fraction of that budget put into it and the Mistral champion was certain it would outpace her own motorcycle in a straightaway.

However, Argus Chariot's greatest strength was not its speed, but its handling, and what it could do in Pyrrha's hands.

Reaching out with her semblance, the Mistral Champion gripped both duel runners in her grip. Just as she had on the first turn, she gently edged Yang's runner to the left, causing her to overshoot the turn just slightly and take the outside, allowing her own to slip onto the inside of the curve and regain her lost ground.

That was how Pyrrha dueled. It would have been a simple matter to use her polarity semblance to make her opponent crash. But aside from the many moral lines involved that she would never cross, there was no honor in that, no skill. She preferred creating small openings, parrying through her opponent's strategies, and then exploiting them for all they were worth. It was a technique that had served her well throughout the years.

"My turn!" she yelled, claiming the lead once more. "I draw!"

More than likely, it would serve her well now. No matter how Yang Xiao-Long had prepared for this match, it was only going to end one way, unfortunately.

After all, she was the Invincible Girl.

* * *

**My Patrons voted for another Teaser Chapter of this recently and I'm in a... mood, due to personal and family issues at the moment, so I decided being generous was a healthy response. Plus, Card Games on Motorcycles. You can't go wrong with card games on motorcycles, 5Ds proved that.**

**An extra huge thank you to my patrons: ArcherMcMuffin, Gregg Tracton, Keith Traction, Annaya Chan, Nora Okonus, Paula mandel, KefkaesqueXIII, Christian Howard, SanyaBane, Matthew Blevins, and David Wayman.**

**Thank you for Reading! I hope you enjoy what comes next!**

**Go Forth and Conquer!**


	3. Race with the Champion- Part 2

**Beta-ed by xenosaiyan**

* * *

"First, I'm activating the effect of my Heroic Challenger - Thousand Blades," Pyrrha declared. "By discarding Heroic Challenger - Spartan and switching Thousand Blades to defense mode, I can summon Heroic Challenger – Assault Halberd from my deck!"

Once again, Thousand Blades slashed the air before it and took a knee. From the glowing white scars it had left emerged another warrior, this one encased spikey purple armor, wielding a hefty two-handed spear in only one hand (ATK 1800 / DEF 200).

"Two level fours," Yang grinned. "I see where this is going. Come on! Bring out your ace! I want to take on Heroic Champion – Excalibur with everything that I got!"

Pyrrha was sure she did. Yang had done her research. She knew the champion's tactics and her moves. It was completely possible that she could bring out her most famous monster this round, and with the cards in her hand she could raise its attack points to incredible heights, enough to wipe her opponent out completely.

However, to do so would leave her without any backup plan, and since Yang had a facedown card she knew nothing about, such a reckless move would be unwise. She would have to be a bit more strategic about this.

"I'll normal summon another Heroic Challenger - Assault Halberd," Pyrrha declared, another of her spearman appearing in front of her. "Then I'll activate the spell card Heroic Chance from my hand. This card doubles one of my 'Heroic' monsters attack points until the end of this turn, with the drawback that the chosen warrior cannot attack directly this turn."

The first Assault Halberd was coated in a flaming sapphire aura (ATK 3600 / DEF 200). It thrust its spear towards the soaring Red Wyvern, the crimson drake answering its challenge with a horrid shriek.

"Assault Halberd attack!" Pyrrha commanded, sweeping her arm back. "Take out Red Wyvern!"

Her ferocious warrior leapt into the air, its pike aimed for its foe's throat. The ragged dragon breathed a torrent of flames in an attempt to counter, but it was no use. Assault Halberd sliced the blaze in two and decapitated the beast in a single slash. The shockwave battered Yang, sending her duel runner wobbling as she fell even further behind Pyrrha.

_Yang Xiao-Long: 2800 Life Points_

Pyrrha snagged a card from her deck and showed it to her opponent before adding it to her hand. "Whenever Assault Halberd deals you battle damage, I'm allowed to add a 'Heroic' card from my deck to my hand. So, I'll take Heroic Challenger – Swordshield and then have my other Assault Halberd attack you directly!"

"I don't think so!" Yang shouted, her facedown card flipping up. "Trap card open! Reject Reborn! This card stops your direct attack and ends your Battle Phase!"

Despite herself, Pyrrha smirked back at her opponent. "But that's not all it does, correct? It also allows you to summon a synchro monster and a tuner from your graveyard."

"Right on the ball, P-money. You sure know your cards," Yang complimented, Red Wyvern and Red Resonator appearing in front of her speeding runner. "But you've only gotten a taste of what my deck is capable of. Now I'm gonna show you my big gun."

"I'm sure it will be incredible," Pyrrha called back to be polite, even as Argus Chariot rounded another corner and increased its lead even further.

Yang grinned, her mount accelerating as she drew a card and began her turn, her eyes glowing scarlet. "You bet! Ain't nothing better than my Burning Soul."

* * *

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"Burning soul? Burning soul!" Ruby cheered. She leaned over the row in front of her and pumped her fist up. "Go Yang! Show it to everybody!"

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Uh, is this another thing I should know about?"

"For once, no. This matter is not among the Goliath sized gaps in your knowledge without reason," Weiss snipped. "Care to enlighten us, child?"

"I told you my name is Ruby," the red hooded girl protested, though her smile never faded. "Burning Soul is just something my dad always talks about. It's the manifestation of a duelist's spirit, their passionate will to clash head-to-dead with a worthy opponent with all they've got."

"Oh, that's pretty cool," Jaune said, though he sounded somewhat unsure. Down below, Yang activated Graceful Charity, drawing three cards from her deck and then discarding two from her hand.

Weiss scoffed. "So, it's a power deck? Hardly unique. I suppose you have one as well?"

"Nope, Uncle Qrow wouldn't teach me until I stopped trying to copy Yang's style. He said that what works for her won't necessarily work for me," Ruby explained. "But that doesn't mean it isn't _awesome_!"

"Naturally," Weiss groaned. However, she did lean forward just a bit, as did Jaune. Yang showing off her synchro summoning before must have piqued their interest.

And if they liked Red Wyvern, then they were going to love what was about to follow it up.

"I tune my level two Red Resonator with my level six Red Wyvern!"

* * *

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"_Stare into the eyes of raging fire! I burn and ignite the ruler's heartbeat that will light the heavens themselves! Synchro Summon! _**Hot Red Dragon Archfiend!**"

A pillar of blinding light shot through the two emerald tuner rings. The circles of energy crackled with power and exploded into a cloud of smog. The audience gasped, terrified that she'd gotten the aura modulations wrong and failed to properly manifest her monster.

Yang smirked, her eyes fading from red back to violet. As if she'd ever mess up something so simple. Dad would never let her hear the end of it.

A thunderous roar boomed out of the smoke and a gale-force wind dispersed the cloud across the stadium, the audience squealing in shock. Descending amidst the chaos was a black and crimson dragon rippling with muscle. Its head would not have been out of place on a gargoyle, three thick horns spaced on either side of its neck and atop its skull. Leathery wings flared out behind it, demonic claws reaching up to tear down the heavens as it set its infernal gaze on Pyrrha (ATK 3000 / DEF 2000).

"Incredible," the Mistral champion whispered, genuine awe laced in her voice.

Yang grinned at the appropriate reaction to her ace. She gunned Bumblebee's throttle and came up beside her opponent.

"Okay, P-money," she said. "Is this doing it for you?"

"Doing it for me?" Pyrrha replied. "I don't understand."

Yang rolled her eyes. "Come on. You don't have to pretend. You're not in this match."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I've giving this my all."

"Oh, don't get me wrong. You're not making any mistakes or anything," Yang clarified. "But you're not letting yourself get invested in this, not getting fired up. It's like you don't care what happens. What? Am I not challenging you enough?"

"No! No, that's not…" Pyrrha sighed and shook her head. "I know how this is going to end. Your dragon is amazing and you are undeniably skilled, but I can beat you. I know I can. I know I'll win. And I know what'll happen after."

Well, that was certainly a weird compliment to receive. One of the best duelists around was at the same time telling Yang that she was awesome, but also that she didn't think she could win. Pyrrha didn't sound arrogant about it either. She actually seemed depressed, as if she'd resigned herself to her own victory. Plus, there was the whole 'what'll happen after' thing, which didn't sound pleasant.

It was sickening. Here they were having a kickass turbo duel and the Mistral Champion couldn't even enjoy the rush! There was no way Yang could let that stand!

"So what?" she demanded, her opponent's emerald eyes whirling to meet her violet ones. "Maybe you will win. Maybe you'll kick my butt to the curb. There's always got to be a loser in a duel. But I'm coming at you with everything in my deck and everything in my soul. And that alone is gonna make this game a wild ride that I'm going to enjoy every step of the way."

She revved her engine and pulled ahead of the legendary Argus Chariot, finally succeeding in beating her around a turn. Hot Red Dragon Archfiend howling with triumph as it overtook Pyrrha's monsters, flames building behind its hellish jaws.

"Meet me with everything you've got, and maybe you'll have just as much fun," Yang challenged, winking at her opponent.

The Mistral Champion's eyes widened in confusion, though her runner's path didn't waver an inch. She really was well trained, but she was confused, so mired in the midst of whatever issues she had that she couldn't enjoy the simple amazingness of what was going on around her.

Yang knew that feeling well, recalling her old obsession with finding her biological mother. Hopefully, what she had in store to help Pyrrha would be a much more pleasant shock than she herself had recieved.

"I activate Hot Red Dragon Archfiend's special ability!" she shouted. "Once per turn, it can destroy every other attack position monster on the field! Go _Absolute Power Blaze_!"

A titanic swath of flames ignited across her dragon's entire body, coalescing in its right claw. With a roar fitting of a king, the beast swiped its hand across the sky, unleashing an infernal tide that burnt both Pyrrha's Assault Halberd's to ash.

"Now attack Heroic Challenger – Thousand Blades!" Yang commanded.

"What?" Pyrrha gasped. "Why would you do that? You already guessed my facedown."

"_Molten Scarlet Flare_!"

Hot Red Dragon Archfiend threw back its head and sent a typhoon of hellish fire screeching towards the kneeling Thousand Blades.

"Fine then!" Pyrrha hotly declared, sweeping her arm to activate her facedown. "I activate my trap card, Battleguard Howling! When one of my warrior-type monsters is targeted by an attack or monster effect, this card lets me target one of my opponent's monsters and return it to their hand. It also deals damage to you equal to that monster's attack points, and with three thousand points, your dragon is about to be your demise!"

Sounds waves, so powerful as to be visible, emanated out from the trap card, halting Hot Red Dragon Archfiend's flames.

Pyrrha sighed. "I told you I knew how this would end."

"I activate the effect of Tuning Gum from my graveyard!"

"What?"

Yang flipped Bumblebee around and looked Pyrrha right in the eye. She withdrew a card from her graveyard and held it up for the champion to see. "I discarded it with Graceful Charity. And by removing it from play, it can negate any effect that targets exactly one Synchro Monster."

A blob of green gum materialized before Yang, an overly friendly smile on its surface. With a joyous laugh, it shot over and stuck itself onto Battleguard Howling. The trap card shattered into pieces, its sound waves crumbling under the renewed onslaught of flames. The fire ran over Thousand Blades and consumed the warrior.

"Told you that you didn't know every step of the way," Yang smiled.

Pyrrha plucked a card from her hand and sent it to her graveyard. "I discard Heroic Challenger – Swordshield! By sending it to the graveyard, I take no battle damage this turn, and my 'Heroic' monsters can't be destroyed by battle!"

The fires of Hot Red Dragon Archfiend's assault were pushed away from Thousand Blades. The ghostly image of Swordshield, a fully armored warrior with a pair of tower shields strapped to his arms, materialized between the two, defending its comrade from the flames.

Yang's beast growled at its stalwart foe, but the hunting duelist herself chuckled. She'd hoped to destroy Pyrrha's avenue to summon monsters from her deck, but she didn't think it'd be that easy. Now, the champion would have an easy way to get another level four monster on the field and summon the only monster in her deck capable of overpowering Hot Red Dragon Archfiend. Her own ace, Heroic Champion – Excalibur.

"I summon Witch of the Black Forest in defense mode," Yang declared, a woman with long violet hair and flowing black robes kneeling beside her dragon (ATK 1100 / DEF 1200). "Then I'll throw one card facedown and end my turn."

Alright, her preparations were made. In case her plan failed, and Hot Red Dragon Archfiend was destroyed, her witch would be able to keep her life points safe. But with any luck that wouldn't be necessary. Her facedown card was the trap Red Cocoon, a card that would equip onto her dragon once activated. From there, whenever the demonic beast battled, all her opponent's monster effects would be negated. And since Heroic Champion - Excalibur could only claim an attack point advantage with its special ability…

She wasn't pulling her punches on Pyrrha. She respected the hell out of the champion's skills, but she wouldn't be treated like some amateur. Her opponent had accepted to be a part of this duel, and that meant she had committed to putting her all into it.

Yang wouldn't let her get away with anything less.

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Even as she drew for her turn, Pyrrha found she could only stare blankly at Yang's back. Even as they made another turn, she couldn't find the sense to take the lead.

What was wrong with her? She'd been through duels a dozen times tougher than this and kept herself together. She knew her deck and she knew how to play it, wielding the exact amount of force necessary to defeat her opponent. It was clinical, it was what she did. It was who the Invincible Girl was!

… but, hadn't she chosen Beacon over Haven in an attempt to get away from being the Invincible Girl? To get off of the pristine pedestal she'd been placed upon? To actually interact with people like a normal girl and, just maybe, make a friend?

She didn't want to change her deck. Her cards had stood by her through thick and thin, and she would never betray them like that. Switching to another strategy when they were already so deep in the duel would only put her even more on the backfoot. She played by capitalizing on her opponent's weaknesses, making the openings they left wider and exploiting them.

She glanced at the two cards in her hand, specifically her Heroic Challenger- Double Lance. If she played like the Invincible Girl, she'd use it to call out her Heroic Champion – Excalibur and overpower Yang's dragon.

But Yang wanted her all, her spirit and her soul. If that was the truth, she would have to go further, push herself farther. Iron sharpened iron, and an opponent of this caliber could forge her into the finest of steel if she let her.

And maybe she could help her evolve along the way.

"I switch my Thousand Blades into attack mode and then activate its effect!" Pyrrha declared, her monster rising to its feet and then immediately taking a knee once more. "I discard Heroic Challenger - Double Lance from my hand in order to summon another Heroic Challenger – Extra Sword from my deck!"

Extra Sword burst onto the scene, a blade in each hand.

"Now I'll activate the spell card Inferno Reckless Summon," Pyrrha shouted. "When I special summon a monster with fifteen hundred or less attack points while you have a face-up monster on the field, I can summon as many copies of my monster as possible from my hand, deck, or graveyard. In exchange, you get to do the same with any monster on your field."

"Really? Sweet!" Yang replied. "I'll bring out two more Witch of the Black Forests!"

Pyrrha nodded and each of them brought out two more monsters. But the duel wouldn't last long enough for Yang's reinforcements to matter.

"You want my all? You want my soul?" Pyrrha challenged, a true wide smile spreading across her face. "Here it comes! With my three Heroic Challenger – Extra Sword and my Heroic Challenger – Thousand Blades, I build the Overlay Network!"

The four warriors transformed into nodes of orange light and soared into a scarlet nebula, churning with twinkling stars. The crowd gasped and even Yang's eyes widened. "Four overlay units?"

"_Let light be released from the Ends of the World! The noble spirit shall thrust unto evil and deliver this world from the chaos of the storm into a new shining order! Xyz Summon! _**Number 86: Heroic Champion – Rhongomyniad!**"

The nebula exploded into a crimson nova and her monster descended. The crowd held their collective breath.

"That's not Excalibur," Yang muttered, her eyes locked in awe upon Rhongomyniad.

Pyrrha could hardly blame her. Her ultimate warrior towered over the track, nearly a head taller than even Hot Red Dragon Archfiend. The gigantic champion was decked out in gleaming white armor, steel obsidian spikes and a helmet crowned by golden antlers completing the splendor. In its titanic hands, held aloft like a specter of justice, was a brilliant golden spear, shining like a second sun. Add to all that the fact that it was a Number and that there were four orange overlay units orbiting its body, and she doubted anyone could face it without quivering (ATK 1500 / DEF 1500).

"Heroic Champion – Rhongomyniad gains additional effects for each overlay unit it has," Pyrrha explained. "As long as it has one overlay unit, it can't be destroyed by battle. And as long as it has two, it gains fifteen-hundred attack and defense points." (ATK 3000 / DEF 3000).

"Oh, that's not good," Yang paled.

"It gets worse," Pyrrha revealed. "Remember my Extra Sword's ability? Now, there are three of them. So Rhongomyniad gets another three thousand points!"

Rhongomyniad twirled its spear, a golden aura shimmering to life around its armor as its weapon rose into position (ATK 6000 / DEF 3000). Hot Red Dragon Archfiend roared defiantly at the knight, even as its power became utterly dwarfed by the shining champion.

"Attack now!" Pyrrha commanded. "Destroy Hot Red Dragon Archfiend!"

"I activate my trap card! Red Cocoon!" Yang shouted. Her card flipped up, revealing a crimson web suspending a gloating cocoon. A dark red aura spread around her dragon. "With this card equipped to my Hot Red Dragon Archfiend, your monster's effects are cancelled out when they battle. So your champion's attack points drop back down to fifteen hundred!"

"Under normal circumstances, you'd be correct," Pyrrha smirked. "But when Rhongomyniad has three or more overlay units, it can't be affected by any other card's abilities!"

"Holy shit," Yang muttered. Her mouth morphed into an eager grin. "That's what I'm talking about! Give me everything you've got P-money!"

"Heroic Champion – Rhongomyniad attack!" Pyrrha proclaimed once more. "_Shining Sun Deliverance_!"

Her titan charged, its spear tip blazing like the bright star. Credit where it was due, Hot Red Dragon Archfiend did not waver. The dragon roared right back as Rhongomyniad advanced, engulfing its right fist in flames as it made its counterattack. Fiery fist met golden spearhead, the latter piercing right through draconic flesh and unleashing a beam of radiant light that shot right through the demonic beast's heart.

_Yang Xiao-Long: 0 Life Points_

_Winner: Pyrrha Nikos_

Yang's duel runner wavered from the shockwave, her aura crackling as it broke under the strain of the attack. The sides of her mount popped open and the emergency brake system ejected a cloud of smoke, a sign for combat support to follow in the field. On the track, it was a helpful sign to the audience that the loser was still alright. After all, the negativity generated by seeing a crash could be exponential. Entertainment duels were meant to reduce the emotion that would draw the Grimm to the city, not increase it.

Fortunately, it seemed this one had done its purpose. The crowd was on its feet, the prospective Beacon students cheering wildly at the display of what they would one day be capable of. Pyrrha's face flashed across the giant holographic screens as the audience chanted her name.

But the Mistral Champion only had eyes for her opponent. Her monster faded from the air, her aura returning from its form, but her heart was still hammering in her chest. She circled around the track and braked beside Yang's runner. When she arrived, the blonde was laughing.

"That was awesome!" Yang cheered, jumping off her stopped motorcycle. She pulled off her helmet and grinned at Pyrrha. "I've never seen a monster like that before! What was it, a Number, right?"

Pyrrha smiled, dismounting from Argus Chariot. "Yes. From what I'm told, they're quite rare."

"Wicked," Yang said. "Did you forge it yourself?"

The redhead nodded. "My first year at Sanctum. I haven't had much occasion to use it since though."

"I'll say. I can't remember ever seeing it on tv." Yang's grin widened, if that was possible. "Guess I pushed you pretty hard, huh?"

More than she knew. Pyrrha hadn't felt such a rush from a duel since she'd first started competing. The challenge, the strategies, the clashing of honorable wills and spirits, more than a cold exchange of tactics. It was a feeling she'd dearly missed. One the Invincible Girl had never tasted before.

She had defeated Yang, but a true duel wasn't supposed to be about winning or losing. And while that sentiment was usually used to temper those overzealous about achieving victory, she found it no less a potent lesson for her own situation. One her opponent had taught her quite thoroughly.

"Very hard indeed," she said. "Yang, if it isn't too much to ask, could we have a rematch someday?"

Yang's eyes widened in shock, but she quickly recovered, extending a closed fist towards the champion. "Any time, P-money. We're both pretty much a shoo-in for passing initiation, so we can go another round as soon as we're both settled in."

Pyrrha stared at the offered fist for a moment before it clicked what was happening. Her smile grew and she answered the fist bump. "I'd like that. I'd like that very much."

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"My sister just fist-bumped Pyrrha Nikos! This is the best day ever!"

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "She just _lost _to Pyrrha Nikos. How is that in any way a good day?"

Ruby whirled on the heiress with a wide smile. "Uh, because the duel was awesome! Obviously! I've only seen anyone take down Yang's Hot Red Dragon Archfiend a handful of times, and never like that!"

"It was pretty awesome," Jaune agreed, a dorky grin on his face. "I've never seen a monster with that much attack power."

"Which would be fascinating if she didn't lose to that same monster," Weiss protested.

"What's your problem?" Ruby asked. "That match was amazing and you're still all grumpy."

"Oh, don't misunderstand me. I am perfectly aware of the astounding display of dueling skill I just witnessed," Weiss clarified. "However, in any duel there is a winner and a loser. And in the real world, the winners decide the fates of the losers, no matter how skilled they are."

Ruby pouted. "Sourpuss."

"I am not a sourpuss!" Weiss huffed.

Ruby would have argued otherwise but Professor Goodwitch's voice crackled over the microphone before she could.

"All prospective students please report to the ballroom. Tonight, you will rest. Tomorrow, your initiation begins."

The microphone went silent and the headmaster and his deputy began to walk away. The rest of the crowd rose in a great wave and started making their way out of the arena.

Weiss whipped away from Ruby and Jaune. "I am here to hone my skills and become as strong a hunting duelist as possible. I don't have time to waste prancing about with immature children like you two."

"Um, aren't you seventeen too?" Jaune pointed out.

Weiss growled and stomped away.

Jaune cringed. "Right, mom did say not to ask a woman about her age. Stupid, stupid."

"Eh, don't beat yourself up about it," Ruby comforted him. She watched Weiss stride away down the hall. "Some people are just mean. Hopefully, we won't have to deal with her too much once we're in the school."

"I don't know," Jaune said, a dreamy look in his eyes. "That kind of confidence and intelligence? I wouldn't mind getting to know her a little better."

Ruby groaned. Boys were weird. Why did they always start drooling over Yang or other girls when there were perfectly good card games to play? It was just ridiculous.

Oh well. Once she was in Beacon, she could play all the duel monsters she wanted. It would just be a nice, simple four years of learning how to be the best hunting duelist she could be. Paradise.

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"You beat that?"

Ozpin shrugged and took a sip from his steaming mug. He and his deputy were both watching their two exhibition turbo duelists walk their runners back to the academy's garage. Ms. Nikos and Ms. Xiao-Long were chatting amicably as they escorted their mounts.

"It is a formidable monster, isn't it," he noted, referring as Glynda had to the Mistral Champion's ultimate warrior. Her _Number_. "I didn't allow her to get so many materials out as Ms. Xiao-Long did however, so it was much easier to handle."

"Clearly," Glynda remarked.

Ozpin chuckled. "I take it you were quite impressed by them both."

Glynda's brow furrowed in contemplation. "Ms. Nikos is already at the skill level of most licensed hunting duelists. After a year of training, I'll be surprised if she doesn't make it to at least the finals of the Vytal Festival."

"Indeed. And Ms. Xiao-Long?"

His deputy sighed. "She's strong, I'll give her that. Taiyang taught her well. But she has his recklessness and Raven's pride. A dangerous combination."

Ozpin couldn't help but notice the spirited smile on Ms. Nikos' face, an expression that he'd been unable to catch even a hint of before their match. "You forgot Summer's heart."

"Heart will only take her so far," Glynda remarked. She shook her head and turned away. "I better make sure everything is ready for tomorrow. We can't have them encountering anything too powerful in the forest."

Ozpin nodded, his second walking away. When she was gone, Ozpin's smile disappeared. He removed his deck box from his belt and pulled out a card, one he'd held in his possession for longer than most could remember. A gift from gods.

"Calm yourself, Timaeus," he soothed the green dragon. "She is not our enemy. Whatever fraction of his power she wields, it does not define her. She is only a child."

The subtle vibrations emanating from his old friend slowly dissipated, the dragon of the eye calmed from its rage. Ozpin could only sigh as he replaced the card in his deck.

There was nothing for Ms. Nikos to be ashamed of. She was an upstanding young duelist, one he believed might one day be capable of shouldering the great burden of a maiden. The fact that she had managed to forge a Number, that she had called upon the spirit of a creature _he _had wielded so long ago, only did credit to her ability. Only the strongest of warriors were capable of invoking such power, let alone controlling it. And just because she had, did not make her malicious in any way. She was a kind young woman. Isolated by her own power, but that was a condition they could improve upon.

Timaeus was just remembering an old enemy, an old war that had cost them all so much, that had, unknown to them all, drawn the lines that would divide them to this day.

But the old war had ended long ago. Now, they had a new one to fight. And he would have to prepare his next generation of soldiers. As they entered his school, they were wide-eyed duelists, eager to learn more about themselves and the world.

Yet he had meant what he said. Knowledge would only take them so far. Knowing what laid in hell did not make it any easier to walk into. And when that knowledge finally came for them, it would be up to their wills and their decks to see them through the conflict.

He could only hope they would be ready.

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**Thank you for Reading! I hope you enjoy what comes next!**

**Go Forth and Conquer!**


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